System for providing power and roll motion stability in a vehicle

Abstract

A dual flywheel assembly for use in an airborne vehicle for storing mechanical energy therein prior to flight and for permitting the extraction of electrical energy therefrom during flight, which assembly includes two flywheels which are linked by a suitable linkage structure such that, if roll motion of the vehicle starts to occur during flight, the flywheels tilt in equal and opposite directions out of their normal planes of rotation, which tilting motions act in a passive manner to stabilize the roll motion of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for providing power and roll stability in a vehicle comprising first and second flywheels for storing energy prior to flight of the vehicle and for permitting the extraction of the stored energy to provide electrical energy during flight thereof, said flywheels being mounted on a gimbal ring within the vehicle so as to rotate normally about a common axis in parallel planes of rotation during flight of the vehicle; and a linkage structure for linking the first and second flywheels during rotation such that, if the vehicle starts to perform a roll motion during flight, both of the flywheels tilt out of their normal planes of rotation, the tilting motions thereof being in equal and opposite directions so as to passively stabilize the roll motion of the vehicle.   
     
     
       2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said linkage structure includes a pair of link elements each connected at one end thereof to respective ones of said flywheels and at the other end thereof to a common slide element which is arranged to slide in a direction parallel to the normal planes of rotation of the flywheels, whereby both flywheels tilt in equal and opposite directions out of their normal planes of rotation. 
     
     
       3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said linkage structure further includes a damping element connected to said slide element for damping out oscillations which may occur in the flywheels during flight. 
     
     
       4. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said damping element is a dashpot. 
     
     
       5. A system in accordance with claims 1, 2, or 3, wherein said flywheels each include therein a motor/generator unit which uses input electrical energy to operate as a motor to cause the flywheel to rotate so as to store mechanical energy therein and which operates as a generator to extract the stored mechanical energy so as to supply electrical energy from the flywheel. 
     
     
       6. A system in accordance with claims 1, 2, or 3, wherein said flywheels are each held by a plurality of flexible links hingedly connected at one end to a rotating hub and connected at the other ends to a rim so as to permit the flywheel to expand in a radial direction, while the rim is restrained from bending or moving in an axial direction.